New Album Discussion (Is Headache Going To The Superbowl?)

[santiago]

Actually the song is great on many levels.

I would prefer Daddy's gonna pay for your crashed car (Part 2), but actually it has a great chorus, a beautiful uncluttered sound, great bass and ok lyrics - can't complain, really.

 

[mikal]

That does it - I'm officially scared. This song is terrible. Boring. Weak. Trite. Forgettable. It's the ABSOLUTELY WRONG direction I was hoping for...

If this song is indicative of the new album, and not a soundtrack throwaway, then I will officially declare The National as my favorite band (although they have been my unofficial favorite for several years).

Seriously, U2 disappeared for 3 years for this shite?

See I don't think The National has done anything that interesting since Alligator.

Don't get me wrong. I like the band but they've never even come close to U2 or Radiohead level for me.

 

[Vlaco]

I can't believe how worked-up people can get over this simple soundtrack song. It's ok to not like a U2 song, for whatever reasons, but bashing it as if it's the worst song ever made is a bit over the top. Seriously, I think some people here have never heard really bad music.

There is a certain level of negativity that is just too much. It's ridiculous how emotional some can get over this issue. Some people here keep forgetting that it is a song for a movie and it fits the project very well, if you ask me. I wouldn't mind it to be a bit longer and I don't like the fade out at the end, but apart from that I think it's a truly beautiful song, not overly phenomenal, but not bad either. After all this wait, it's good to have them back.

The band should release what they feel like releasing. It's not very realistic to assume they are interested in making music to please a minority of always super critical fans who have overly high expectations. U2 have a very wide fan range and it's impossible for them to please everyone. That's not their job. They should do what they want to do and if some fans have difficulties sleeping at night because they feels disappointed, that's not the band's problem.

I can't believe how worked-up YOU get over someone elses opinion. Some people (including myself) don't like the song. What's the big deal? You and many others do like the song. That's fine. I don't sleep any worse because of a mediocre U2 song. Apparently you're the one who gets quite emotional over this issue c.q. people's opinion on an internet forum.

Agreed with your last alinea.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

I think it's more the fact that your are just pushing the it's mediocre because you don't like it type thing

 

[Vlaco]

I think it's more the fact that your are just pushing the it's mediocre because you don't like it type thing

*Sigh* It's mediocre IN MY OPINION. ''Oh no, some people on an internet forum disagree with my opinion.'' I never said people shouldn't like the song, it's just my opinion. You're really excited about it; nothing wrong with that. People have the right to think it's great, I have the right to think it's not.

 

[Registered Dude]

you have the right to your opinion, and to express it. but if I'm going to be honest, at the end of the day, when I come to a fan board, it's shitty to have to hear it.

edit: I'm not suggesting anyone go away or to stop doing what they're doing. just saying it's shitty to hear whining here, or anywhere for that matter.

 

[djerdap]

That's the risk of going to a fan board.

 

[Registered Dude]

That's the risk of going to a fan board.

ah but of course..

 

[kkaider]

I quite like it. And I think it has the potential to get them on the charts. But unless it's radically different (and not just longer) I'll be a little disappointed if it does turn out to be on the new album since that would be one fewer new songs we'd get.

 

[Vlaco]

you have the right to your opinion, and to express it. but if I'm going to be honest, at the end of the day, when I come to a fan board, it's shitty to have to hear it.

edit: I'm not suggesting anyone go away or to stop doing what they're doing. just saying it's shitty to hear whining here, or anywhere for that matter.

Cheer up, at the end of the day it's just someones opinion on a message board. While I disagree with many of their ''recent'' choices, they're still my favourite band. How many times have I heard people (IRL) say they don't like U2? Many times. Do I care? Not in the least.

People are sensitive these days...

 

[dan_smee]

I think the distaste for the dissenting opinion comes from the fact that reading 'it's a mediocre song' really flattens the excitement of a U2 release, rather than challenging anyone's love for it. It sucks to have all this pent up excitement, and you just want your board companions to love it too. I don't see why it needs to get personal, because people are generally coming from an honest place, but get caught up in convincing each other of things they are sure of. Let's not attribute malicious intent, or be insufferably intent on converting the haters. Like it, hate it, who gives a fuck? I love it for now - time will tell if my longing for new U2 is distorting my ears...

 

[Registered Dude]

I think the distaste for the dissenting opinion comes from the fact that reading 'it's a mediocre song' really flattens the excitement of a U2 release, rather than challenging anyone's love for it. It sucks to have all this pent up excitement, and you just want your board companions to love it too.

smee said it better than I...

 

[U2girl]

I just hope Gavin Friday's right and the album is their most exciting work since AB.

Making U2 sound like Coldplay and not letting Edge loose won't cut it.

 

[Aygo]

Cheer up, at the end of the day it's just someones opinion on a message board. While I disagree with many of their ''recent'' choices, they're still my favourite band.

Some diehards simply have troubles dealing with it.

 

[Aygo]

I think the distaste for the dissenting opinion comes from the fact that reading 'it's a mediocre song' really flattens the excitement of a U2 release, rather than challenging anyone's love for it. It sucks to have all this pent up excitement, and you just want your board companions to love it too. I don't see why it needs to get personal, because people are generally coming from an honest place, but get caught up in convincing each other of things they are sure of. Let's not attribute malicious intent, or be insufferably intent on converting the haters. Like it, hate it, who gives a fuck? I love it for now - time will tell if my longing for new U2 is distorting my ears...

Exactly. It's U2's job to (re)convert those fans again, through their work, through their choices, their artistic vision, their behaviour as artists.
That's not the other fans' job, altough they think they were entitled with that mission.

 

[mikal]

I just hope Gavin Friday's right and the album is their most exciting work since AB.

Making U2 sound like Coldplay and not letting Edge loose won't cut it.

Good God. This post makes me wish this forum didn't have rules.

 

[Aygo]

Has The National given you a Fly? This is what I find so strange, you constantly want reinvention from U2 but you settle for the same with other bands... WTF?

And Bono autotuned? Are you serious? Where do you think he's autotuned?

This is great, I've never seen this bashing strategy of a blind sheep to a dissatisfied fan. So now the new strategy is "justify your dissatisfaction by explaining that or making comparisons with the other artists you like".

Awesome!

Well, I'm a fan of other pop/rock acts, as well as other kind of musicians and artists and... I've got news for you: I do not appreciate the same thing in all of them and I'm not searching for the same things (or for a pattern) in all those artists. In fact I like each of them for their singularity.

 

[PhilsFan]

Has The National given you a Fly? This is what I find so strange, you constantly want reinvention from U2 but you settle for the same with other bands... WTF? And Bono autotuned? Are you serious? Where do you think he's autotuned?

Why does The National need to have given The Fly for him to like them more than U2? He was making two separate points.

(And The National has been better than U2 since Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, and has been my favorite band over U2 for over three years. It's not outrageous for him to think so.)

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Some posts on this forum just help to suck any excitement out of anything new the band does

 

[digitize]

But it is tough to criticize U2 for being too stuck in their own sound compared to The National when The National haven't really changed their sound ever. I adore The National, and their music means an enormous amount to me. But they're nothing like U2 or Radiohead for innovating their sound.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

I just hope Gavin Friday's right and the album is their most exciting work since AB. Making U2 sound like Coldplay and not letting Edge loose won't cut it.

Don't Coldplay sound like U2?

 

[mikal]

But it is tough to criticize U2 for being too stuck in their own sound compared to The National when The National haven't really changed their sound ever. I adore The National, and their music means an enormous amount to me. But they're nothing like U2 or Radiohead for innovating their sound.

Well said. I tend to hate on The National more than I should, mostly due to the vocals, but they are a very good band. They've just never hit that peak that U2 hit for me during the 90's and sprinkling in bits and pieces from the 80's and 00's.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I've been a fairly strong defender of U2' s recent stuff. The lyrics have been bad but the music has still been great. But this is about as "safe" as you can get. I mean - this is Nickleback territory.

Perhaps my reaction is a bit strong. But damnit - I wanted something that sounded new - something that would shock me like The Fly did. Something that would say, hey - we're not dead yet.

This sounds like just about any modern rock/adult contemporary out there today. There's nothing fresh. Bono's autotuned and mixed "perfectly" - while the edge somehow vanishes into the background - with surprisingly no new sounds coming from the mountains of equipment...

If this is what they're giving us - it's honestly best to call it a career. It just may turn out that Achtung Baby was both a blessing and a curse...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

This song sounds nothing like coldplay.

Sometimes I wonder if some of you have ever even heard coldplay before, or if that's just your go to line cause you've seen others post it before.

It does sound very much like a danger mouse produced song. And if people complained about that, while disagreeing with their reasoning, I'd at least understand where you were coming from.

But this whole "meeeeeehhhh wahh wahh it sounds like coldplay" thing is just fucking lazy. Cause it doesn't.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

It makes me laugh when i see someone post "they should call it a career" all because that one person doesnt like the song.

 

[PhilsFan]

But it is tough to criticize U2 for being too stuck in their own sound compared to The National when The National haven't really changed their sound ever. I adore The National, and their music means an enormous amount to me. But they're nothing like U2 or Radiohead for innovating their sound.

Is that what he was doing? If you like The National for doing what they do but also think U2 is at their best when they're challenging themselves, is it hypocrisy or simply just liking two bands for two different things?

 

[mikal]

Is that what he was doing? If you like The National for doing what they do but also think U2 is at their best when they're challenging themselves, is it hypocrisy or simply just liking two bands for two different things?

Oh you're just a blind sheep for The National!

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Is that what he was doing? If you like The National for doing what they do but also think U2 is at their best when they're challenging themselves, is it hypocrisy or simply just liking two bands for two different things?

Why should they need to challange themselves now though?, surely they should just be doing what they want at this stage in their lives?

 

[Tim Wallach]

Without getting into a diatribe about the song, which is a soundtrack thing and fits in the mold of the "okay" stuff they've done in that realm, I looked for some other signs on the production end.

Two things jumped out at me from a sound standpoint:
- the vocals ar extremely pronounced and clear
- the drums sound exceptionally crisp in the mix

Those are a couple potential positives I see from DM to look forward to.

 

[Musikwala]

This new song DOES sound a bit like Coldplay. (And yes I own copies of their first 4 or so albums)

Didn't affect my liking of the song though.